Freddy Cannon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Freddy Cannon
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Cannon in 1965
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Frederick Anthony Picariello, Jr. |
| Born | December 4, 1936 Revere, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock and roll |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1956–present |
| Labels | |
Frederick Anthony Picariello, Jr. (born December 4, 1936), known as Freddy Cannon, is an American rock and roll singer. He became famous for his energetic songs. His biggest international hits include "Tallahassee Lassie", "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans", and "Palisades Park".
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Freddy Cannon was born in Revere, Massachusetts, on December 4, 1936. When he was a child, his family moved to Lynn, Massachusetts. His dad was a truck driver who also played the trumpet and sang in local bands.
Freddy grew up listening to rhythm and blues music on the radio. He learned to play the guitar and loved the sounds of artists like Big Joe Turner.
Becoming a Rock and Roll Star
Freddy Cannon started his music career in 1958. He sang and played rhythm guitar on a song called "Cha-Cha-Do." This song became popular in his local area. He also played lead guitar for another group, the G-Clefs, whose song "Ka-Ding Dong" was a hit in 1956.
Freddy was inspired by rock and roll legends like Chuck Berry and Little Richard. He formed his own band, Freddy Karmon & the Hurricanes. They became very popular in the Boston area. Freddy developed a unique, strained singing style that became his trademark. He also appeared regularly on a local TV dance show called Boston Ballroom.
In 1958, Freddy worked with a manager named Jack McDermott. Freddy's mother helped him write a new song called "Rock and Roll Baby." They made a demo recording of the song. A demo is a rough recording used to show a song to record companies.
The song was then worked on by producers Bob Crewe and Frank Slay. They changed the song and renamed it "Tallahassee Lassie." At first, several record companies said no to the song. But then, TV host Dick Clark heard it. Dick Clark owned part of Swan Records.
Clark suggested making the song even more exciting. They added a strong bass drum beat, hand claps, and Freddy's famous "whoo!" shouts. Swan Records finally released the song. The company president, Bernie Binnick, gave Freddy his new stage name: Freddy Cannon.
"Tallahassee Lassie" became a huge hit in 1959. It reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. and No. 17 in the UK. It sold over one million copies, earning a gold disc. A gold disc means a song has sold a lot of copies!
The "Boom Boom" Sound
Freddy stayed with Swan Records for five years. He became known as Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon because of the powerful, thumping sound of his songs. He appeared on Dick Clark's TV show, American Bandstand, a record 110 times! This helped him become famous across the country.
His second big hit was "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans" in 1960. This was a rock and roll version of an older song. It also sold over one million copies and reached No. 3 in both the U.S. and the UK. Freddy toured in Britain, and his album The Explosive Freddy Cannon was the first album by a rock and roll singer to reach No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart.
Freddy continued to have hits, often with his own versions of old songs. In 1962, he released one of his biggest hits, "Palisades Park". This song was written by Chuck Barris, who later hosted the TV show Gong Show. The song included rollercoaster sound effects. It reached No. 3 on the Hot 100 and also sold over one million copies.
Freddy also appeared in movies, like Just for Fun (1962) and Village of the Giants (1965). In 1963, he signed with Warner Bros. Records. He had two more top twenty hits: "Abigail Beecher" (1964) and "Action" (1965). "Action" was from Dick Clark's TV show Where the Action Is and earned Freddy his fourth gold disc.
After 1967, Freddy Cannon continued to release songs on different record labels. He also worked with Dick Clark on American Bandstand reunion concerts and toured around the world. In 2002, he released an album of Christmas songs called Have A Boom Boom Christmas!!
A famous fan of Freddy Cannon was Alex Chilton, a singer from the bands Box Tops and Big Star. Chilton admired Freddy's energetic performances.
Personal Life
Freddy Cannon lives in Tarzana, California.
Discography
Albums
- The Explosive Freddy Cannon (1960, Swan LP 502 (Mono)/S 502 (Stereo)) - UK #1
- Freddy Cannon Sings Happy Shades of Blue (1960, Swan LP 504)
- Freddy Cannon's Solid Gold Hits (1961, Swan LP 505)
- Palisades Park (1962, Swan LP 507)
- Steps Out (1962, Swan LPS 511)
- Bang On (1963, Stateside Records SL 10013) - European release of Palisades Park
- Freddie Cannon (1964, Warner Bros. W 1544 (Mono)/WS 1544 (Stereo))
- Action (1965, Warner Bros. W 1612/WS 1612)
- Freddy Cannon's Greatest Hits (1966, Warner Bros. W 1628/WS 1628) - Greatest hits from both Swan and Warner Bros. labels
- 14 Booming Hits (1982, Rhino RNDF 210)
- His Latest & Greatest (1991, Critique)
- The Best of Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon (1995, Rhino)
- Where The Action Is The Very Best 1964-1981 (2002, Varese Sarabande)
- Have A Boom Boom Christmas!! (2002, Gotham)
- The Best of Freddy Cannon (Collectibles, 2003)
- Boom Boom Rock 'n' Roll: The Best Of Freddy Cannon (Shout! Factory, 2009)
See also
In Spanish: Freddy Cannon para niños
- List of rock and roll performers
- List of Italian American entertainers
- List of acts who appeared on American Bandstand
- List of guests appearing on The Midnight Special
